1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital photography and, more particularly, to delivery of digital images to assistance centers such as emergency-assistance centers.
2. Description of Related Art
The art and popularity of digital photography has grown significantly over recent years. As a general matter, digital photography is very similar to conventional film-based photography, except that photographs taken with a digital camera are stored as digital files rather than being recorded on film. Digital photography thereby provides users with immediate access to photographs without the need for film developing. Further, digital photography allows for easy communication and sharing of photographs, though a computer network for instance.
One application of digital photography that is gaining very widespread acceptance is camera phone technology. As is known in the art, a camera phone is a combination cell phone/digital camera. More specifically, a camera phone typically includes (i) cell phone components that allow a user to engage in wireless voice and data communications and (ii) digital camera components that allow a user to capture digital images and store the images in digital image files.
One of the great advantages of most camera phones is that they allow a user to capture a digital image and then wirelessly transmit the image virtually anywhere in the world, such as to family or friends. To do this in a usual arrangement, a user of the camera phone takes a picture and then selects or enters a destination address, such as an e-mail address or a phone number of another camera phone. The camera phone then transmits the image to the destination address, typically by sending the image to a photo server that then forwards the image to the designated address.
Camera phones can also serve a useful security function. If a user has a camera phone at a crime scene or other emergency scene, for instance, the user can take a picture of the scene and then send the image to police or other authorities. As described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/815,738, filed on Mar. 23, 2001 (published as US 2002/0137528 A1), for example, a user could engage a special actuation button on the camera phone that would cause the camera phone to (i) take a picture (ii) initiate a “911” call to an emergency assistance center, and (iii) transmit the picture within the call to the emergency assistance center.